Mobile users having personal electronic devices, such as, for example, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile communication devices, and the like, do not always have the ability to store certain data files within these devices that the user may want to print while away from their regular office's computing environment. For example, a salesperson may need to print out a document stored on a content server located at the main office or another office, in preparation for a planned visit with an existing or potential customer. Let us assume that the salesperson, in this example, has access to a hotel business computing center having at least one computer and a printer that are connected to the Internet. Here, the salesperson would typically need to gain access to the content server and the data file stored thereon through the Internet using the hotel's computer. Once the desired data file has been located, it would typically be downloaded to the hotel's computer and then subsequently printed using the hotel's printer. This may require that the hotel's computer have certain application software as required to read and print a given data file. For example, a spreadsheet data file may require its associated spreadsheet program and a word-processed data file may require its associated word processing program in order to be accessed and printed.
While this remote accessing and printing procedure may work for certain users and/or data files, the attendant lack of security with regard to the information relayed back and forth between the hotel's computer and the content server may reduce the overall usefulness of the remote login/browsing process. Notice that, in the example given above, the hotel's computer could be configured to record and/or otherwise pass-on the necessary information to gain access to the content server or other resources. This information could then be used at a later time to access the content server, etc.
One way to reduce this potential security risk, would be to first access the content server and download the desired data file to the salesperson's personal electronic device over a separate secure communication link. Unfortunately, not all personal electronic devices are able to store and/or otherwise support such data files.
Thus, there is a need for improved methods and apparatuses that allow personal electronic devices to direct and control the selection and printing of data files in a more secure manner.